Oil-well-cleaning device



C.v E. WESSELS. o|L w.ELL CLEANING EvlcE. AEPUcATloN FILED IAN. |\'2. 1920.

Patented Oct. 17, 1922.

3 SHEETS--SHEET l.

@3.1. a A sa C. E. WESSELS. OIL WELL CLEANING DEVICE. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA l2, 1920. l 1,432,649 Patented 0613. 1.7, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C; E. WESSELS. OIL WELL CLEANING DEVICE. APILICATIGN FILED JAN. 12. |929.

Patented Oct. 17, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIE E. WESSELS, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,v ASSIGNOR T0 THEODORE E. GUY, 0F

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

OIL-WELL-CLEANING DEVICE.

Application led January 12, 1920. Serial No. 350,858.

la specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in an oil well cleaning device, and has for its ob]ect the provision in an oil well cleaning device of expansible cleaning members having an uninterrupted periphery when in expanded position.

Another object is the provision in an oil well cleaning device having expansible cleaning members of means for filling the gaps between said members when in expanded position.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed. The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

fFig. 1, is a central vertical sectional view of my invention applied to an oil well,

Fig. 2, is a plan view, showing the cleaning members used in my invention, when in expansible position,

Fig. 3, is a sectional view taken on substantially line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 1, is a modified form of the member shown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5, is a plan view of the cleaning members used in my invention in contracted position,

Fig. 6, is a perspective view of a cleaningmember used in my invention,

Fig. 7, is a perspective view of another cleaning member used in my invention,

Fig. 8, is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of cleaning member used in my invention,

Fig. 9, is a sectional view taken on substantially line 9 9 of Fig. 8, and

FFig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective viefv of the outerv cleaning member used in the form illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9.

In constructing an oil well, a pipe 10 generally inserted into the well for the purpose of forming the walls thereof and pre venting the same from caving in. The lower portion of the pipe 10 is slit longitudinally so as to form elongated slots therein and this longitudinally slotted portion is transversely wound with strands of wire 11 which form a screen so as to prevent the entry of sand and other forms of detritus into the interior of the member 10. As the oil well is used, the oil deposits a coating of paraffine upon the wires 11 and upon the interior surface of the member 10. As this parafl'in collects the well becomes clogged up so that the flow of the oil from the space surrounding the member 10 into the interior thereof is greatly retarded and Sometimes completely prevented. In order to induce the flow of the oil into the well, it is necessary that the paraffine coating and other sediment which has coagulated to clog the well up be removed from the wires' 11 and the interior surface of the member 1l). To accomplish this, I provide a series of pipe sections 12 which are secured together by suitable unions 13. Secured to one end of the terminal pipe section is a tubular member 14 which is provided upon its periphery with circumferential grooves 15. In these grooves, I mount the cleaning members which are adapted to engage againstthe interior surface of the member 10. The cleaning members comprise a series of blocks which extend around the member 14; and are so positioned in the grooves 15 as to be expansible so that the circumference of the circle formed by the cleaning members when in the expanded position is greater than the circumference of the circle formed by the cleaning members when in the contracted or inoperative position.

The cleaning lmembers comprise a series of blocks which co-operate with each other in presenting the features mentioned. Cne of the blocks 16 is provided at its outer side with fianges 17 which project from the upper surface and from the base thereof. At the inner side of the block 16 similar projecting flanges 18 are provided.. The co-operating block 19 is provided with horizontally extending flanges 20 which project outwardly from the upper and lower surfaces thereof and is also provided with flanges 22 Awhich project vertically from the upper and CIW lower surfaces thereof and at the inner side similarly constructed fianges 23 project vertically ,'ffrom' lthe upper and lower 5 surfaces thereofy at the outer side. vertically' entending flanges 21 project from the lateral faces of the member 19.y lVhen in contracted position, such as shown in Fig. 5, the member 16 engages at opposite sides in the space provided between the flanges 20, the flanges 21' overlapping the flanges 18 so as to substantially meet the flanges 21 onthe ends of the adjacentmember 19, it being evident that the members 19 are positioned alternately withy the members 16 vpositioned between. As shown is Fig. 5, the peripheral surface of the cleaning.member.thereillustrated is uninterrupted, inasmuch as the edges of the fianges 23 engage against the Vedges of the fianges 17. rIhe blocks 16 and 1.9 are positioned in the grooves 15 in the manner shown in Fig. 5. A sleeve 24 is positioned upon the member 14 so as to engage or to lie in close proximity with theupper surface of the members 16 and 19. As shown in Fig. 1, the sleeve 24 engages between the flanges 22 and 23 and the flanges 17 and 18 so that the sections comprising the cleaning members are permitted slidable movement within the groove 15, the sleeve 24 serving merely to limit the outward movement of these sections... An additional sleeve 25 isI provided upon the member 24 `which engages between the flanges 23 and 22 andthe flanges 17 and 1S at the opposite side of sections 19 and 1G which comprises the cleaning members.` In the use of -my invention, I prefer to provide the lmember 19 with two sets of cleaning members and consequently `two circumferential grooves 15 are provided in which the sections constituting the cleaning members are positioned as already described.` An additional sleeve 25 is provided upon the member 14 for the purpose of securing the second cleaning member in assembled position.

The member 14 is provided with aseries of perforations 26 which extend around the member 14 and communicate with the grooves 15. Two sets of the members 14 are preferably employed each having two sets of the` cleaning members assembled thereon. I provide a perforated tubular section 27 for the purpose of connecting the two members 14. A section of `pipe 12 is attached to the end of the lower member 14 and this section of-pipe 12 is providedwith a valve seat 43 and a check `valve 42 adapted to rest thereon, the member 42 being hingedly connected as at AIn operating the device, the upper endof the pipe 12 is connected to some suitable supply of steam" or water and the same is forced downwardly through the pipe 12 and through the members l14 under pressure. The steam or water being forced into the members 14 passes outwardly through the openings 26 and forces the `Jassa'e of water or steam u wardl or downwardly will be greatly retarded or entirely prevented. lVhen the cleaning members engage the inner surface of the member 10, the water or steam which is used is forced outwardly through the perforations 27 and therebyserves to fill the space which is determined by the cleaning members and the pipe 10 with water or steam. `As the pressure continues, this water vor steamis forced outwardly through the elongated slits and serves to clean the same of all sediment and paraffine. In this manner, the wire screen 11 is also cleaned and the obstructed. passage is again opened permitting the flow of oil into the interior of the well.

In devices of this class which have heretofore been used, expansible cleaning members have been used whichwere mounted loosely upon a tubular member having perforations therein., but in these devices the expansible cleaning members, when in the contracted or in-operative positionwould present an uninterrupted peripheral surface, but when in the expanded or operative position, the peripheral surface would vbe interrupted by spaces separating the sections so that should the device be used for scraping by moving the same lupwardly and downwardly in the well, pieces of paraine or other sediment clinging tolthe inner surface of the well would be left where each of the spaces were present. To eliminate this, IA

have provided inter-locking sections, as described, and have ob'viated therdifficulty, inasmuch as a very small space i's present upon the peripheral surface of the expanded cleaning member whichdoes not come into close contact with the interior surface of the well. This, space, in addition to being narrow, is of very little width, owing to the fact that the flanges 17 and 18, and 22 and 23 are very thin. y J

In the modified form4 shown in F ig. 8 and Fig. 9, I have provided means for filling the space 36 which appears upon the surface of the expanded cleaning member, as shown in Fig. 2. To accomplish this, I form in each member 16 an opening 33 extending from which are channels 33. Communicating'with the ends of the channels 33are passages in each of which issecured a collar 34 provided. with an opening therethrough. A plate 35 whichv is adapted to fit in they space 3G is secured to a pin 37 mounted in the boss 40 formed upon the plate Secured to the pin'37 adjacent one end thereof is a'collar 38. Positioned upon the pin 37 between said collar 38 and said collar 34; is a spiral spring 39. Providedk in the outer surface of the sleeve which secures the section in position is a groove 41, in which the'ends oft-he plate 35 are adapted to rest when the cleaning member is in contracted' position. The construction is such that upon the forcing of the cleaning members outwardly by the water or steam pressure passing through the perforations 26, the water or steam enters the opening 33 and travels along the branch channels 33 until the outward pressure is exerted upon the collars 38. This pressure forces the plate 35 outwardly against the compression of the spring 39 and retains it in operative position, thereby filling the gap 36 while the cleaning member is expanded. Upon the release of the pressure, the spring 39 carries the plate 35 backwardly so as to rest within the recess or groove 11, thereby bringing the plate 35 beneath flanges 17 and 23 to engage in notches 20 provided in flanges 20, permitting said flanges to meet and close the gap 36, when in inoperative position.

y In order to remove the paraifine and other sediment, which has been loosened in the interior of the well, therefrom, Ivprovide a cap 28 which is threaded upon the upper vend of the member 10. The cap 28 is provided with a suitable nozzle 29 to which a suitable air pump may be secured. Surrounding the upper end of the cap 28 is a cap 30 which serves to retain in position about the member 12 packing 31. hen a portion of the well has been cleaned, the vacuum pump which is attached to the nozzle 29 is started and the water and sediment, and the paraine which has been rendered volatile by the steam, if used, is thereby withdrawn. In Fig. 4, I have shown a modified form of the section which constitutes the cleaning members in which the flanges on the outer surface thereof are dispensed with. In the use of a block such as 32, the flanges 23 and 17 would be eliminated, the remaining structure and functions remaining the same as already described. v

'Vhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. l, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of the construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An oil well cleaning device cou'iprising a perforated tubular member, adapted for insertion in an oil well, said'member having spaced peripheral grooves surrounding the same; and a series of expansible elements mounted in each peripheral groove, said elements being adapted to contact with the interior wall of saidwell. y

2. An oil well cleaning device comprising a pipe; a tubular member secured to said pipe, said member having peripheral grooves formed therein; and sectional expansible cleaning members, comprising each a series of movable elements, mounted in said groovesadapted to engage the interior surface of said well, when expanded, said members forming an uninterrupted peripheral surface, substantially as described.

3. An oil well cleaning device compris- .ing a pipe; a tubular member secured to said pipe, said member having peripheral grooves formed therein; sectional expansible cleaning members, comprising each a plurality of elements movable relatively to each other mounted in said grooves adapted to engage the interior surface of said well, when expanded, said members having an uninterrupted periphe 'al surface, when expanded; and means for loosely mounting said cleaning members on said tubular member, substantially as described.

4. An oil well cleaning device comprising a tubular member adapted for insertion in an oil well, said member having a series of perforations therein; expansible sectional cleaning'members comprising co-operating fianged blocks mounted in `peripheral grooves formed in said tubular member, said cleaningmembers forming an uninterrupted peripheral surface, when expanded; and means permitting said blocks to move expansively and into engagement with said well on said tubular member, substantially as described.

An oil well cleaning device comprising a pipe section; having a series of perforations extending around the periphery thereof; and expansible sectional cleaning members comprising blocks mounted on said pipe section over said perforations, said blocks being movable outwards from each other, forming spaces therebetween, means mounted on said blocks to fill the spaces formed between said blocks, duringthe expanded position of said members, said blocks and means forming an uninterrupted peripheral surface, when expanded, substantially as described.

6. An oil well cleaning device comprising a tubular member, having a series of per forations therein; a plurality of expansible sectional cleaning members mounted in peripheral grooves on said tubular member, said cleaning members having an uninterrupted peripheral surface, when expanded; additional similar cleaning members similarly mounted upon said tubular member and spaced fl'omfsad-frst mentioned e1em1- name to this speecnton in the presence of ing members; and a perforated pipe comtwo subscribing witnesses. y pllsed 1n sind tubular member conneetmg I E n y, n S, Saud nddltlonul clezmmg members and sind QI LISTIL L' K BSSLI b 5 rst mentioned cleumng members, Substenfltnesses:

tlally as desellbed. JOSHUA R. H. POTTS, In testlmony Whereo I have slgned my ROSE K.' Tm, 

